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He (The Pope) is gathering the kings of the earth into a place (for talks for Peace and Safety) in the Hebrew Tounge "Community of Sant'egidio"

Slovenian leader meets with Pope

Vatican, Nov. 29, 2007 - Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) met Slovenia's Prime Minister Janez Jansa in a private audience on November 29.

Jansa invited the Holy Father to visit Slovenia in 2009, for the closing of the National Eucharist Congress. During his visit he discussed plans for Slovenia's term at the presidency of the European Union during the first 6 months of 2008. He also spoke about the government's plans for the restoration of church properties that were confiscated by the country's Communist regime.

After his meeting with the Pope, Prime Minister Jansa spoke separately with the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone .

Christians must respond to challenges with 'united voice,' pope says

Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Benedict XVI told Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople that Christians must "respond with a united voice and with conviction" to the challenges modern men and women are facing.

"Our work toward unity is according to the will of Christ Our Lord," the pope said in the letter, released at the Vatican Nov. 30, the feast of St. Andrew, the Constantinople patriarchate's patron.

The letter was delivered to the patriarch and read during the feast day celebration by Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

Pope Benedict said his visit to Turkey last year to participate in the feast day celebration and the tradition of the pope and patriarchate sending delegations to each other's celebrations "represent authentic signs of the commitment of our churches to an ever-deeper communion, strengthened through cordial personal relations, prayer and the dialogue of charity and truth."

The pope also thanked God for the work of the Catholic-Orthodox theological commission, which met in Ravenna, Italy, in October and published a document on the exercise of authority in the church.

"The meeting in Ravenna was not without its difficulties," Pope Benedict said, and "I pray earnestly that these may soon be clarified and resolved, so that there may be full participation" in future meetings and initiatives "aimed at continuing the theological dialogue in mutual charity and understanding."

The Russian Orthodox delegation walked out of the Ravenna meeting to protest the presence of a delegation from the Estonian Orthodox Church, recognized as autonomous by the ecumenical patriarchate but not by the Russian church.

Marking the Orthodox feast and the anniversary of Pope Benedict's visit to the patriarchate in Turkey, the Vatican newspaper published an interview with Patriarch Bartholomew in its Nov. 30 edition.

The patriarch said Pope Benedict's visit was "a gift of God for all Christians; an extraordinary day, an event of hope, a historic sign."

"With much sadness we confess that we still cannot celebrate the sacred mysteries together and we pray that the day will come in which sacramental unity can be fully accomplished," he told the newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano.

The patriarch said the search for unity is a responsibility of all believers.

"Without hesitation we will continue our common journey in the spirit of love and fidelity toward the truth of the Gospel and of the common tradition of the holy fathers in order to restore the full communion of our churches," he said.

The patriarch, who like the pope praised the work of the international Catholic-Orthodox theological commission, said it is obvious that Catholics and Orthodox are still divided by serious differences.

While the commission members recognized the fact that the bishop of Rome, the pope, held a position of primacy in the early church, they also said it was not clear that his primacy included concrete authority over other patriarchs and bishops. The next phase of the dialogue is to focus on the authority of the pope in the first millennium, when Christians of the East and West were still in communion with each other.

Patriarch Bartholomew told the Vatican newspaper that each church must preserve its own traditions and, at the same time, find ways to draw closer to the other.

"I do not know what the future holds for us. There must be good will, sincerity and courage on the part of all to go forward," he said.

Personal encounters between popes and patriarchs, he said, are opportunities "to cultivate our relationship more in depth and to draw closer to (sharing) a common chalice. And this desire can be transformed into reality through our efforts, our prayers and our insistence."

Patriarch Bartholomew, who said the pope's 2006 visit to Turkey also marked an important step forward in relations with Muslims, said the key idea behind dialogue is that differences should not prevent people from talking to each other.

"The deepest meaning of dialogue lies in the fact that the other is not a stranger, but God's creation, so he is not a threat to me, but a joy, because in him we see the image of God," the patriarch said.

Also in the News -

Vatican delegation joins Annapolis peace talks

Annapolis, Nov. 27, 2007 - Msgr. Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's undersecretary of state, heads a delegation from the Holy See participating in the Middle East peace conference that opens today in Annapolis, Maryland.

Msgr. Parolin-- who is deputy to Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, the Secretary for Relations with States-- will be accompanied by Msgr. Francesco Coppola to the peace conference. During his Angelus audience on Sunday, November 25, Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) endorsed a plea from the US bishops for a day of prayer for the success of the Annapolis conference. The Pope noted that "Israelis and Palestinians, with the help of the international community, aim to relaunch the negotiating process in order to find a just and definitive solution to the conflict which, for the last 60 years, has bloodied the Holy Land and brought so many tears and so much suffering to the two peoples."

International News

Mon 26 Nov 2007

Hopes high as Abbas arrives in US

BEN LYNFIELD IN JERUSALEM

THE Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, arrived in the US yesterday for a Middle East peace conference with high hopes of making progress towards an independent Palestinian state.

Israeli leaders also arrived in Washington yesterday ahead of tomorrow's peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland, which the Palestinian president termed a "launching pad" for talks on a final Palestinian peace deal with Israel.

"I am going to Annapolis in an effort to realise the dream of the Palestinian people for an independent state," Mr Abbas said.

But in the West Bank and Gaza Strip there is widespread scepticism about Mr Abbas's ability to achieve any gains for Palestinians.

Israel's rejection of a freeze on its settlement construction in the occupied West Bank is seen as an indication that there is no real pressure from the White House on the Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert.

And the Palestinians' bargaining position has been weakened by division of the self-rule areas between Mr Abbas's Fatah movement and Hamas, which seized control of the Gaza Strip in June.

"Abbas is kidding himself when he says Annapolis will fulfil the dream of a state, but to maintain his role he believes he has no choice but to proceed," said Hani Masri, a columnist for al-Ayyam newspaper, describing the peace conference a "charade".

Israeli officials said yesterday it was still possible the two sides would reach agreement on a declaration aimed at "launching" negotiations, but added that such a declaration would not resolve the key issues in dispute including settlements, Jerusalem and the return of Palestinian refugees.

Mr Abbas, 70, a co-founder of Fatah along with the late Yasser Arafat, pioneered PLO contacts with Israeli doves during the 1980s and oversaw the secret negotiations with Israel that led to the failed 1993 Oslo Agreement on self-rule.

He criticized the second intifada uprising on the grounds that its bombing campaigns harmed the Palestinian cause.

"Abbas believes there is no other choice besides negotiations. He believes that if negotiations fail, you should engage in more negotiations," Mr Masri said.

"Israel will be the beneficiary of Annapolis. To the world it will appear that it wants peace and is searching for peace. For Abbas, however, Annapolis will gradually bring about his end politically."

• Pope Benedict XVI yesterday urged in prayers that the participants at the summit find the "wisdom and courage" necessary to bring peace. He said the meeting, to which the Vatican is sending a delegation, hoped to relaunch negotiations "to find a just and definitive solution to the conflict which for 60 years has bloodied the Holy Land".

SYRIA will attend the Annapolis conference, it said yesterday, boosting US efforts to enlist widespread Arab support for a new Middle East peace drive.

Ending weeks of uncertainty, the official Syrian news agency said the official delegation would be headed by Deputy Prime Minister Fayssal Mekdad, left. Syria had insisted the meeting also deal with the future of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, captured in the 1967 Middle East war.

Israel and Syria last held peace negotiations in 2000, in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, but could not reach a deal on the Golan Heights.


Below are Links to news from:

Scotsman.com

Related topic





Middle East

International News


The Two Words and a name that equals = Armageddon


AR is not equal = to HAR as some may suggest.

AR= City

HAR = Mountain

These have two words have two different meanings altogether.

The KEY:

Translate from Ancient Greek to Hebrew to Italian

then if you prefer - to your native tongue.

The book of Revelation makes no mistakes!


The KJV New Testament Greek Lexicon
Strong's Number: 717

Original Word Word Origin
Armagedwvn of Hebrew origin

Transliterated Word
Armageddon
Phonetic Spelling Parts of Speech
ar-mag-ed-dohn'


Wrong Definition 1
Armageddon = "the hill of Megiddo"

Notice: 1. In Rev. 16:16 The RSV translates the name as Har-Magedon, i.e. hill (as Ar is the city) of Megiddo or M-Egiddo.



Wrong Definition 2
Armageddon
For other uses, see Armageddon (disambiguation).
Armageddon (Greek αρμαγεδδων; also spelled Har-Magedon in some modern English translations) mentioned in the Book of Revelation in the Christian New Testament, or more generally, an apocalyptic catastrophe.
The word Armageddon in Scripture is known only from a single verse in the Greek New Testament, where it is said to be Hebrew, but it is thought to represent the Hebrew words
Har Megido (הר מגידו), meaning "Hill of, Megiddo".



The KJV Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon
Strong's Hebrew Greek Dictionary
Number: 02022

Original Word Word Origin
rh a shortened form of (02042)


Transliterated Word

Har
Phonetic Spelling Parts of Speech
har
Noun Masculine

Right Definition 1 of Har
1. hill, mountain, hill country, mount
<>
King James Word Usage - Total: 546
mountain 261, mount 224, hill 59, hill country 1, promotion 1


The KJV Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon
Strong's Number: 02042
Original Word Word Origin
rrh from an unused root meaning to loom up
Transliterated Word

Harar
Phonetic Spelling Parts of Speech
haw-rawr'
Noun Masculine

Definition of haw-rawr'
1. mountain, hill, hill country, mount
<>
King James Word Usage - Total: 13
mountain 10, hill 2, mount 1

Ar- M- AGIDDION - AIGIDION - EGIDIO
Greek Letter μ = English Letter M= Hebrew letter מִ =Hebrew Word "From" or "of "

Hebrew word "Ar" ="City" or "Community"

Ar - Community
M - of


IN HEBREW

"M" = OF or FROM

"MM" refers to time as
μμ -p.m.
"M"Also refers to:
π.μ.- a.m.



Hebrew(הר מגידו)

Book of Revelation Greek
αρμαγεδδων

English Transliterated from Greek Bible
Armageddon
Ar- M- = Community of

Ar-m- aigidion

Aigidio = 'Egidio

Written 'Egidio in Italian
Egidio-Spanish

World peace talks hosted by the Sant’Egidio Community

Sant’Egidio – Italian – English – Sant Giles

Egigio - Italian

GILES - English

Gender: Masculine

Usage: English

Pronounced: JIE-ulz [key]

From the Late Latin name Aegidius, which meant "young goat" from Greek αιγιδιον (aigidion). Saint Giles was an 8th-century miracle worker from Greece who was regarded as the patron saint of cripples.

Ar-m-aigidion = "Community of 'Egidio" or "Community of Sant'Egidio"

'Egidio = Giles in English

is the Medieval English form of the Old French saints' name Gide, an altered form of Latin Aegidius.

Some explain this as from Greek αιγιδιον (aigidion) meaning "kid, young goat".

Others believe that the Latin Aegidius was from aegis, a goatskin shield, and that the name refers to the youth who would carry the shield for a warrior.

Giles masc. French, Kiðlingur (Giles derives from the Late Latin name "Aegidius", which meant "young goat" from Greek "aigidion".)

Pronounced: JIE-ulz From the Late Latin name Aegidius, which meant "young goat" from Greek αιγιδιον (aigidion). Saint Giles was an 8th-century miracle worker from Greece who regarded as the patron saint of cripples.




SEE: PEACE AND SAFETY
Sant'Egidio = Trastevere, Italy -Part of - Rome, Italy
near Vatican City
That Great City that rules over the kings of the earth.
The Place - Community of Sant'Egidio
Read - The Book of Revelation
Chapter 16 - Chapter 17

1Thessolonians 5:3

For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

The inter-religious International Meetings started in the mid-80’s, as an initiative of the Community of Sant’Egidio, with the aim of promoting mutual understanding and dialogue among religions, in a horizon of peace.

The Community of Sant’Egidio has continued living the spirit of the Assisi World Day of Prayer, proposed by John Paul II in 1986, by accepting the Pope’s final invitation of that historical meeting: “Let’s keep spreading the message of Peace and living the spirit of Assisi”. Since that moment, through a network of friendship between representatives of different faiths and cultures from more than 60 countries, the Community has promoted a pilgrimage of peace, that has had several stages in various European and Mediterranean cities year after year.

The two first meetings in Rome in 1987 and 1988, were followed by Warsaw in September 1989 (“War never again”) - on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the beginning of WWII -, Bari in 1990, Malta in 1991, Brussels in 1992 (“Europe, Religions, Peace”, about the unity of Europe and its relation with the South of the world). In 1993 the pilgrimage stopped in Milan and in the following years, in Assisi and Florence.

The 1995 meeting was a special one: it took place in Jerusalem, in the heart of the Holy City. The title was “Together in Jerusalem: Jews, Christians and Muslims”. After the Rome and Padua-Venice meetings, came the extraordinary meeting in Bucharest in 1988, “Peace is the name of God: God, Mankind, Peoples”. For the first time, the meeting was organized by the Community and the Orthodox Church of Romania.
The presence of several Orthodox patriarchs and cardinals, and mainly the new atmosphere of dialogue opened the way for the first visit of the Pope to an Orthodox country, which took place some months later.
John Paul II, in the message he sent last year to the XIV Meeting for Peace, Community of Sant’Egidio in Lisbon, said: “I would like to thank especially the Community of Sant’Egidio for the enthusiasm and the spiritual courage shown in accepting the message of Assisi and bringing it to so many places in the world through the meeting of men of different religions.”

This year, the first year of the new century, the International Meeting for Peace takes place on the banks of the Mediterranean. Barcelona, deeply rooted in the history of co-existence among the great Abrahamic religions, but at the same time pointing to the new century, with its capacity of renewal, is for three days the capital of peace and the symbol of the new European reality.

Pope John Paul II writes in “Novo Millenio ineunte”: “... we face the challenge of inter-religious dialogue, to which we will be committed in the new century (...) Dialogue must go on”. To reaffirm in different languages and religious traditions the pacific power of dialogue, from 2nd to 4th of September in Barcelona, on the fifteenth anniversary of the first Meeting in Assisi, pilgrims of peace are going to live together “On the Frontiers of Dialogue: Religions and Civilization in the New Century”.

World religious leaders kick off peace summit

Posted: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 05:33:00 +0000

NAPLES, Italy (AFP) — Leaders of the world's main religions kicked off an annual inter-faith peace summit here Sunday with calls for a global organization uniting their faiths.

Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, Israel's chief rabbi Yona Metzger and the imam of the United Arab Emirates, Ibrahim Ezzedin, were among those attending the gathering.

"Civilizations don't dialogue directly, but through those who carry their traditions and cultural values. So we should not speak of a dialogue of civilizations, but a culture of dialogues," Bartholomew told the opening.

In a similar vein, Metzger proposed a "United Nations of Religions" that would "embrace the heads of religious communities that have a profound influence on their congregations."

"If we sit down together around one table... surely we could arrive at effective solutions," he said.

Ezzedin, too, advocated a formal structure linking world religions, saying: "This important grouping of God-fearing people cannot and should not limit itself to processions, conferences and seminars."

"We need to form a permanent and authorised executive machinery for ... executing any decisions we may make," he added.

The Muslim leader however spoke harshly of "unjustified provocations in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan and ... unfair dealings in Palestine" that have prompted "some Muslim individuals and groups (to go) astray and wrong themselves by violent actions."

He added: "We are dismayed by the behavior of some great powers who continue to act aggressively against other countries, by means of military occupation under fabricated pretexts... forced regime changes and blunt interference in other countries' affairs."

The Sant'Egidio summits are meant to carry on the "spirit of Assisi" and were launched 21 years ago by John Paul II in the birthplace of Saint Francis.

The first summit, dubbed a World Day of Prayer for Peace, was attended by the Dali Lama, Mother Teresa and other religious leaders.

The pope, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, stayed away, reportedly out of concern that it put all religions on an equal footing.

Thus the timing of his pastoral visit to Naples has been billed as a "happy coincidence" by Sant'Egidio, a lay Catholic organization that has mediated in several world conflicts.

The theme of this year's peace summit is "A World Without Violence”: Faiths and Cultures in Dialogue," with topics to include AIDS, immigration, the plight of Africa and the quest for peace in the Middle East.

The Sant'Egidio community is the "bridge in this search for common points and continues to work for dialogue in all parts of the world to build peace," said the Reverend Gijun Sugitani, the supreme adviser of Tendai Buddhism in Japan.

Earlier Sunday, Benedict celebrated an open-air mass as rain fell on pilgrims huddled under umbrellas in Naples' main square.

Lamenting "the sad phenomenon of violence" in the impoverished city, the pontiff said: "It's not only a matter of the deplorable number of crimes of the Camorra (mafia), but also the fact that violence tends unfortunately to become a widespread mentality, insinuating itself into the fabric of society."




Peace Appeal From Encounter of Peoples and Religions

NAPLES, Italy, OCT. 24, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Here is the text of the message made public Tuesday by the Community of Sant'Egidio, after the 21st International Encounter of Peoples and Religions. The Sant'Egidio Community and the Archdiocese of Naples co-sponsored the event. The appeal was presented by a group of children to representatives of nations of the world at the concluding ceremony of the meeting.

* * *

Naples, Oct. 23, 2007

Men and women of different religions, from many parts of the world, we have gathered here in Naples to forge bonds of brotherhood, and call to God for the great gift of peace. The name of God is peace.

In the heart of the Mediterranean Sea and in this extraordinary city, which is well acquainted with poverty and greatness of heart, we stooped down upon the wounds of the world. There is an illness that pollutes every thing and its name is violence. Violence is the grim daily companion of too many men and women on our planet.

Violence becomes war, terrorism, poverty and despair, exploitation of our planet. It is fueled by contempt; it stuns people with hatred; it kills hope and sows fear; it strikes down the innocent, and debases humanity. Violence seduces the hearts of human beings and tells them, “nothing can change." This pessimism makes people believe that living together is impossible.

From Naples we can say, stronger than before, that anyone who uses the name of God to hate the other, to practice violence, or to wage war, is cursing the name of God.

As Benedict XVI told us, “Never can evil and violence be justified by invoking the name of God."

We focused on our diverse religious traditions, we heard the sorrow of the South of the world, and we felt the burden of pessimism rising from the 20th century with its weight of war and shattered illusions. We need the strength that comes from the spirit of love, which helps rebuild and mend the unity of humankind. The power of the spirit changes the hearts of men and women and transforms history.

In the depths of our religious traditions, we have discovered that a world without dialogue is a world without hope, where people are fated to fear each other. Dialogue does not cancel differences. Dialogue enriches life and dispels pessimism that makes one see the other as a threat. Dialogue is not the illusion of the weak, it is the wisdom of the strong, who rely on the power of prayer. And prayer changes the world and the destiny of humankind. Dialogue weakens no-one’s identity, and it encourages everyone to see the best in the other. Nothing is lost with dialogue; everything is possible through dialogue.

To those who still kill, to those who still sow terrorism and wage war in the name of God, we say: “Stop! Do not kill! Violence is always a defeat."

We commit ourselves to learn the art of living together and to offer it to our fellow believers. There is no alternative to the unity of the human family. We need brave builders, in all cultures, and in all religious traditions. We need the globalization of the spirit, which reveals to us what we no longer see: the beauty of life and of the other, in all circumstances, even the hardest.

Our religious traditions teach us that prayer is an active power in history, and it moves peoples and nations. Humbly, we offer this ancient wisdom to the service of all peoples, of every man and every woman, to open a new era of freedom from fear and contempt for the other. It is the spirit of Assisi, and here, from Naples, full of courage and strength, it challenges violence and any abuse of religion as a pretext for violence.

Following in this path, confident that peace can be a gift to the whole world, we commit ourselves to the Most High.

Religion Can Bring Peace, Says Cardinal

Encourages Hindus in Path of Dialogue With Christians


VATICAN CITY, NOV. 5, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Far from being a cause of conflict, religions can promise the peace for which the world longs, affirmed a Vatican official.

Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council of Interreligious Dialogue, said this in a message sent to Hindus for their Nov. 9 celebration of Diwali, the festival of lights. The message is titled "Christians and Hindus: Determined to Walk the Path of Dialogue."

"Sensitive to your religious feelings and respectful of your ancient religious tradition," the cardinal wrote, "I sincerely hope that your search for the Divine, symbolized through the celebration of Diwali, will help you to overcome darkness with light, untruth with truth, and evil with goodness."

He continued: "The world around us is yearning for peace. Religions promise peace because they trace their origin to God who, according to Christian belief, is our peace. Can we, as believers of different religious traditions, not work together to receive God's gift of peace and to spread it around us so that the world becomes for all people a better place to live?

"Our respective communities must pay urgent attention to the education of believers, who can so easily be misled by deceitful and false propaganda.

"Belief and freedom always go together. There can be no coercion in religion: No one can be forced to believe; neither can anyone who wishes to believe be prevented from doing so."

Overcoming ignorance

Cardinal Tauran encouraged believers to educate themselves about their own faiths, and to learn about the beliefs of other religions.

"Let us not forget that ignorance is the first and, perhaps, the principal enemy in the life of believers," he said.

"Like all human relationships, those between people of different religions need to be nourished by regular meetings, patient listening, collaborative action, and above all, by an attitude of mutual respect," the cardinal continued. "Accordingly, we must work to build bonds of friendship.

"In situations of misunderstanding, people need to come together and communicate with one another, in order to clarify, in a fraternal and friendly spirit, their respective beliefs, aspirations and convictions.

"Only through dialogue, avoiding all forms of prejudice and stereotyped ideas about others and by faithful witness to our religious precepts and teaching, can we truly overcome conflicts. Dialogue between followers of different religions is the necessary path today, indeed it is the only appropriate path for us as believers."


Interreligious Dialogue Is Working, Says Scholar [2007-11-14]
Affirms It Needs to Continue in Daily Relationships

Religion Can Bring Peace, Says Cardinal [2007-11-05]
Encourages Hindus in Path of Dialogue With Christians

"New Attitude" Noted in Muslim-Christian Relations [2007-10-29]
Pontifical Institute for Islamic Studies Responds to Open Letter

Violence in God's Name a "Curse" [2007-10-24]
Naples Meeting Concludes With Commitment to Dialogue

Peace Appeal From Encounter of Peoples and Religions [2007-10-24]

Jewish Leaders Briefed on Youth Day Event [2007-10-24]

Cardinal Proposes Road Map for Peace [2007-10-23]
Calls Religiously-Motivated Violence a Profanation

Naples Event Seen as Aid in Warding Off Civilization Clash [2007-10-22]
Says Coexistence Is Only Solution for Globalized World

Pope's Address to Religious Leaders in Naples [2007-10-21]
"Religion Can Never Be a Vehicle of Hate"

Benedict XVI: Religion Is Not a Vehicle of Hate [2007-10-21]
Urges Promotion of the "Spirit of Assisi"

Foundation Advises Israel on Religious Etiquette [2007-06-15]

Vatican Message to Buddhists [2007-04-25]
"May We Continue to Contribute Toward Peace and Harmony"

Pope's Address to Interreligious Foundation [2007-02-11]
"A Vital Need for Our Time"

Interreligious Dialogue a Must, Pope Says [2007-02-01]
Receives Group of Muslim, Jewish, Christian Leaders

"Nostra Aetate" Initiated New Era, Says Foundation [2006-10-27]
Marks 41st Anniversary of Interreligious Document

Book Culls Interreligious Documents [2006-10-20]
Covers Papal and Vatican Texts of 1963-2005

Pope Notes Conditions for Interreligious Prayer Meetings [2006-09-04]
A Testimony of Fraternity, Which Must Avoid Syncretism, He Says

Holy See's Statement at Conference on Tolerance [2006-06-13]
"The Frequent Belittling of Religion and Culture"

Jews and Catholics on Respect for Human Life [2006-03-02]
Final Statement of the Bilateral Commission

Interreligious Dialogue Aids Religious Liberty, Says Pope [2006-02-20]


Europarliament Condemns Persecution of Christians [2007-11-21]
Vows to Make Aid Dependent on Respect for Freedom

Benedict XVI Urges Peace in Somalia [2007-11-21]

On the Teachings of Aphraates [2007-11-21]
"Prayer Is Strong When It Is Full of God’s Strength"

Letter from Caritas Somalia [2007-11-21]
"We Cannot Simply Dismiss Somalia as a Hopeless Case"

Putting Social Doctrine in the Limelight [2007-11-21]
Justice and Peace Council Consider Key Task

Holy See Urges U.N. to Coordinate Disaster Response [2007-11-20]
Says International Community Needs to Offer Long-Term Aid

Holy See on a Humanitarian Response to Disasters [2007-11-20]
"A Steady Commitment Is Necessary"

Cardinal: Paul VI Knew Terrorism Could Become Widespread [2007-11-20]
Vatican Council to Study "Populorum Progressio"

The Life-Sapping Human Virus [2007-11-19]
Losing Equilibrium in the Ecology Debate

Democracy in Danger in Venezuela [2007-11-19]
Interview With Archbishop Baltazar Porras

Papal Address to Missionaries [2007-11-16]
"The Baptized Are Called to the Spreading of the Gospel"

Pope Says Missionary Work Has Only Just Begun [2007-11-16]
Notes Cooperation of Laypeople Adds Needed Spark

Cardinal Hails U.N. Vote on Death Penalty [2007-11-16]
Recommendation for Moratorium a

Vatican: World Still Needs "Populorum Progressio" [2007-11-16]
Justice and Peace Council to Study 40-Year-Old Document

Holy Land Likened to a "Family Home" [2007-11-15]
Cardinal-Designate Laments Christians' Emigration From Region

Statement of Joint Catholic-Orthodox Commission [2007-11-15]
"Ecclesial Communion, Conciliarity and Authority"

Pope Recalls Italians Who Died in Iraq [2007-11-14]

Papal Message on the Common Good [2007-11-14]
"Only Together Is It Possible to Attain It and Safeguard Its Effectiveness"

St. Jerome on the Bible [2007-11-14]
"Love Sacred Scripture and Wisdom Shall Love You"

Interreligious Dialogue Is Working, Says Scholar [2007-11-14]
Affirms It Needs to Continue in Daily Relationships


Vatican: World Still Needs "Populorum Progressio"

Justice and Peace Council to Study 40-Year-Old Document


VATICAN CITY, NOV. 16, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Pope Paul VI's encyclical "Populorum Progressio" turned 40 this year, and the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace thinks it is as valid today as it was four decades ago.

Scholars and experts will gather Nov. 20-24 in Rome to consider the problems and prospects of human development 40 years after "Populorum Progressio," a dicastery communiqué reported. The theme will be considered at the pontifical council's plenary assembly Nov. 20-21 and at the second world congress of ecclesial organizations active in the sector of justice and peace from Nov. 22-24.

According to the communiqué, pontifical council members and consultors "will reflect on the current validity of the historic papal document, with particular emphasis on the moral aspects of development, on new forms of poverty and globalization, on conflicts and disarmament, and on safeguarding and protecting human rights."

Cardinal Renato Martino and Bishop Giampaolo Crepaldi, respectively president and secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, will lead the plenary assembly.

More than 300 delegates from more than 80 countries are expected to participate in the second world congress of ecclesial organizations active in the sector of justice and peace. The specific theme of their meeting will be "The 40th Anniversary of 'Populorum Progressio': The Development of All of Man, the Development of All Mankind."

The congress "will study the new situations that have come into being in the world since the publication of the historic document, and the current challenges of development in the light of the Church's social doctrine, in particular the questions of human ecology, pluralism and intercultural dialogue, and new forms of government in the context of globalization," the communiqué reported. "Particular attention will also be given to the Church's pastoral commitment to integral and solidary development in the world today."



Leaders of Christianity's diverse traditions meet in Africa

Nairobi, 6 November --A global gathering aimed at bringing together representatives of all the world's main Christian traditions has opened in Kenya with leaders saying they want to find new ways of working together.

"I don't think it is going to be easy, but I hope we will find a meeting space," the Rev. Setri Nyomi, general secretary of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches told Ecumenical News International on the opening day of the 6-9 November meeting, called the Global Christian Forum, at Limuru, near Nairobi.

The forum was originally proposed in the mid-1990s by the Rev. Konrad Raiser, a German theologian who was then general secretary of the Geneva-based World Council of Churches.

He said it could reach out to Roman Catholic, Pentecostal and Evangelical churches that do not belong to the WCC, whose 347 member churches are drawn predominantly from Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox traditions.

"Our differences are not bigger than what binds us together," said Nyomi. "We have more in common, but how we express it is different."

The WCC described the Kenya gathering as bringing together "the broadest range of Christian traditions ever represented at a global meeting".

About half of the 250 participants come from Evangelical and Pentecostal churches, which are growing rapidly in many regions of the world, particularly in the Southern hemisphere.

"It is a wonderful opportunity for the broad spectrum of Christian churches and communities to encounter one another and to be in conversation with one another, not with the view of creating complicated structures, but rather with the view of maintaining the fellowship of conversation and of Christian hope," the Rev. Leonid Kishkovsky of the Orthodox Church in America, told ENI.

The WCC said the meeting is intended to allow representatives of all the main Christian traditions and of their global organizations to explore and address together common challenges.

Addressing the forum's opening session, the Rev. Peter Karanja, an Anglican priest and general secretary of the National Council of Churches of Kenya, said churches are increasingly reluctant to make moral, ethical or spiritual demands on their members for fear of being labelled legalistic, fundamentalist or fanatical.

"The individuals are left to choose what being a Christian means for them and as long as they are happy, then everything goes," said Karanja. "There is something inauthentic about our faith, if it just remains in our heads or liturgy, but does not translate into changed lives and conduct."

The Global Christian Forum states on its Web site that its intention to bring together Christians and churches from very different traditions who have little or no contact with each other. "It is about building bridges where there are none, overcoming prejudices, creating and nurturing new relationships," it says.

Regional meeting have been held under the auspices of the forum in Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America.

"I expect we shall come into an agreement regarding the future of the Global Christian Forum, and I hope we agree to have a very small staff to keep the contacts going," said the Rev. Ishmael Noko, general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation.

He said, "These things [issues] should be delegated to the regions and national levels in the spirit of the global forum."

:: The Christian traditions represented at the Global Christian Forum are: African Instituted, Anglican, Baptist, Evangelical, Disciples (Churches of Christ), Friends, Holiness, Lutheran, Mennonite, Methodist, Moravian, Old Catholic, Eastern and Oriental Orthodox, Pentecostal, Reformed, Roman Catholic, Salvation Army, Seventh-day Adventist, United and Uniting Churches.

The Uniting of the World under the Beast

Vatican official says world forum for Christianity is vital
Nairobi (ENI). A senior Vatican official has said the Roman Catholic Church welcomes a new Global Christian Forum intended to bring together the diverse strands of Christianity as never before. "When Christians are divided, the preaching of the gospel suffers and this is a pain we all have to feel," said Bishop Brian Farrell, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, addressing a meeting of the forum near Nairobi.



More news.......

'Historic' world Christian forum issues call for dialogue
Nairobi (ENI). Leaders meeting in Kenya belonging to all main Christian traditions, and from countries ranging from Armenia to Zimbabwe, have pledged to convene international, local and regional meetings to deepen reconciliation and understanding.



Rev 16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

The political advocacy of the American Catholic Bishops at the state level is one of the Church's best-kept secrets.

WASHINGTON (November 9, 2007)-The prospect of permitting Iran to develop nuclear weapons is unacceptable, according to U.S. Catholic Bishops, but absent an immediate threat, the U.S. and other nations must be fully committed to pursuing a diplomatic solution to the present confrontation. This was the message delivered by letter last week to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice from Bishop Thomas Wenski of Orlando, Florida, on behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The bishops were reacting to escalating rhetoric and news accounts speculating about a potential preemptive use of force against Iran to deter further possible nuclear weapons ambitions. “From a moral perspective,” Bishop Wenski wrote, “in the absence of an immediate threat…military action would constitute an act of preventative war.” The Catholic Church, he noted, teaches that “engaging in a preventative war without clear proof that an attack is imminent cannot fail to raise serious moral and juridical questions.” The bishops make clear their assessment that the Iranian situation does not presently constitute an immediate threat. Before military action could be considered, according to the bishops, all non-military alternatives must be exhausted. Options, they suggest, range from diplomatic and economic incentives, increased international involvement and cooperation, to economic sanctions. The bishops also called on the nation’s leaders to change the United States’ current nuclear posture to ensure that nuclear weapons are not used against non-nuclear threats and appealed for greater, more sustained progress toward nuclear disarmament in the spirit of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. The full text of the letter is available by logging on to: http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/international/2007-11%20Iran%20Letter.pdf.

Also in the News....

Five million sign petition to UN calling for end to capital punishment
Five million signatures against the death penalty were presented to Srgian Kerim, president of the 62nd general assembly of the United Nations Organisation on Friday, in New York by a delegation of the Sant'Egidio community and the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty.
The petition, signed by people from around the world, demands a universal moratorium for capital punishment.

The text of the Sant'Egidio appeal was adopted by the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty on 10 October.
The delegation led by Sant'Egidio spokesman Mario Marazziti, included Sr Helen Prejean, American anti death penalty activist, and representatives of other organisations which promote the abolition of the death penalty.
The presentation of the signatures was followed by a video press conference, at which speakers included Archbishop Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury Adolfo Perez Esquivel, Nobel Peace Prize winner from Buenos Aires; Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace; and Siti Musdah Mulia, Muslim theologian of Djakharta University.
For more information

download the Fides Dossier on the death penalty:

Microsoft Word file - 'love your enemies'

by copying and pasting the following url into your browser:

http://www.fides.org/eng/documents/dossier_pena_morte_130807.doc



VATICAN CITY - November 7, 2007 -
Pope receives King of Saudi Arabia The Holy See Press Office released the following communique yesterday: "Today in the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican, the Holy Father Benedict XVI met with King Abdallah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia. The sovereign subsequently went on to meet with Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone SDB who was accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States. "The meetings took place in a cordial atmosphere and provided an opportunity to consider questions close to the heart of both sides. In particular, the commitment to inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue aimed at peaceful and fruitful coexistence between individuals and peoples was reiterated, as was the importance of collaboration between Christians, Muslims and Jews for the promotion of peace, justice and spiritual and moral values, especially in support of the family. "The Vatican authorities expressed their hope for the prosperity of all the inhabitants of the country, and mention was made of the positive and industrious presence of Christians. "Finally, views were exchanged on the situation in the Middle East and on the need to find a just solution to the conflicts affecting the region, especially that between Israelis and Palestinians."

News

» 11/02/2007 09:58

CHINA – VATICAN – TIBET
Beijing: “serious repercussions” if the Dalai Lama meets the Pope
The Buddhist leader is due in Rome on December 13th next. Despite having no diplomatic relations with the Holy See, the Chinese Foreign Minister warns that bilateral relations will be seriously damaged should the meeting between Benedict XVI and the Dalai Lama go ahead.

Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) – The Chinese government yesterday warned the Vatican of “serious repercussions” to bilateral relations if the Pope meets with the Dalai Lama, who is due in Rome on December 13th. Currently there are no diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Beijing.

Liu Jianchao, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Minister, said: “We hope the Vatican will not do anything to hurt the Chinese people’s feelings and will show sincerity to improve relations with China by taking concrete actions”.

Beijing has always maintained that the Dalia Lama is not a religious leader, but a dangerous separatist who is seeking independence for Tibet, invaded by Chinese troops in 1950. In this light, the Chinese government has condemned recent meetings between the Tibetan leader and political leaders from the United States, Canada and Germany within the last 12 months.

Moreover the American government has recently conferred the Dalai Lama the Congress Gold Medal award, the nation’s highest honour. In response, Liu said that “those countries, who decide to deal with the Tibetan separatists, tarnished their own image”.